Mistletoe Kisses
by Debwood-1999
Summary: It's Christmastime, and Anna's getting kisses from everyone except the one guy she wants one from. Bradshaw/OC
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This story is a one shot featuring my OC, Anna Hollenbeck. Anna is a recovering alcoholic who lives in North Carolina with her roommate Phil Brooks (CM Punk) and is friends with the Core Group. Also, she is the godmother of Matt and Lita's (yeah, they're married in this one) daughter. In this AU, Anna and Phil are going to a Christmas party at Mark (Taker) and Stephanie's, and Anna is trying to get a kiss from her crush, Justin Bradshaw. Keep in mind that Bradshaw in this story is NOT JBL, but he's Bradshaw of Acolytes and APA (Farooq and Bradshaw) fame.**

**AAAHHH, you gotta love AU. Enjoy, and whatever you're celebrating this year, I hope it's enjoyable:)**

_**Mistletoe Kisses**_

_**Chapter One**_

"Do I look okay? I didn't have a chance to finish putting on my makeup. My perfumes not too strong is it? Does my hair look okay?"

Phil Brooks sighed and glanced over at his fussy roommate. He didn't admit it out loud, but he found Anna's current anxiety quite amusing. "You look good. That purple eyeliner makes the blue in your eyes stand out. Your hair looks fine. Perfume's a little overpowering, but it's not the sickly sweet stuff, so I don't mind."

Anna Hollenbeck sat back in the passenger's seat of Phil's car. "Well, it's the Be Delicious knock-off stuff from Wal-Mart. And it should fade a little by the time we get to Mark and Stephanie's."

Phil and Anna had been each other's roommate and close friend for nearly two years. Anna had moved in with Phil shortly after getting a job at Shannon Moore's tattoo shop in Southern Pines, and she chose to move in with Phil because she thought his Straightedge lifestyle set a good example for her (a recovering alcoholic who took her sobriety quite seriously) to follow.

The two of them were on their way to Mark and Stephanie's house to attend an early Christmas party. Mark Calaway ran a motorcycle repair and customization shop out of his home, and everyone who worked for him had been invited. Coincidentally, most everyone who worked for Mark got their tattoos done at Shannon's shop as well, so there would plenty of familiar faces to hang out with.

One of those familiar faces was Justin Bradshaw. Justin was a former college football player who worked with Mark at his shop and got his ink touched up at the tattoo place. Anna had been smitten with him the moment she saw him, and since then, she had been looking for opportunities to introduce herself properly to her crush, with little success.

When she and Phil were invited to the party, Anna immediately accepted. She knew there was a good chance that Bradshaw would be there, and she would do whatever it took to finally catch up to him. Maybe, if she was lucky and smart, she would get a kiss or something out of it.

"So what's going on with Adam and Jeff?" Phil asked, as he pulled up to a red light.

"They were gonna be at the party tonight, but Addy's in the hospital over in Fayetteville. He's got problems with his blood pressure, and his OB/GYN wants to keep a close eye on him. If it becomes a critical situation, then Dr. Nora can deliver the baby straightaway. Jeff's staying with him, and he's gonna keep us all posted."

"That sucks," Phil remarked, pulling out of the intersection when the light turned green.

"Well, there's a baby to worry about, so they have a good reason to not attend," Anna pointed out as she touched up her eyeliner.

"Well, I mean it sucks that Adam's in the hospital with pregnancy complications. Who'd a-thunk that he'd get pregnant in the first place?"

"Well, he's always been a drama queen, a diva, and a bit of a girl, so a pregnancy doesn't surprise me all that much."

"Well, speaking of drama queen, you'll be happy to know that you'll have a chance to end the drama with you and Justin Bradshaw. He's gonna be there. I talked to Mark before we headed out." Phil paused. "Everyone knows that you've been crushing on Bradshaw since you saw him at Shannon's shop. Really, it can't be that difficult for you to just walk up and introduce yourself."

Anna sighed. "I know, Phil. But every time I'm around him, it's like my brain turns off and I'm all thumbs. I turn into a puddle of goo and I'm tongue-tied. I really want to try and start something with him, and I thought a kiss tonight would be a good idea. But whenever I try to make a move, I...I chicken out."

"It's about time you did something, Anna! I couldn't stand you giving him the angst-y lovesick look any longer. It was getting really pathetic."

Anna shot a dirty look at her roommate. "Thanks, Phil! Way to make me feel lousy about myself. I knew it was bad, but I didn't think it was _that_ obvious."

"Well, don't be too hard on yourself," Phil advised her gently. "There's word going around that Justin's got his eye on you as well. He just hasn't made his move yet."

"How long have you know about this?" Anna questioned as she pulled her powder compact out of her wristlet purse and powdered her nose and forehead. "You and Mark and Justin run around in the same crowd, so you must be in the know."

"He's had his eye on you for quite some time, Anna. A couple months, actually."

"_What?__" _Anna nearly dropped her compact. "And you never said anything?"

Phil shrugged. "You never asked." He slowed the car down and pulled into a parking lot. "It's a good thing Christmas is a week away, or this place would already be closed. "

"Hey! Where are we going?"

"Wal-Mart. If you and Justin are both waiting for the other to make the first move, neither one of you will get anywhere. _Someone_ has to do something, might as well be me." Phil threw the vehicle in Park and climbed out. "Come on. We're getting something that'll _guarantee_ you'll get a kiss from your big crush."

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

"Can't believe I'm doing this."

"You look cute."

"I look desperate. This looks goofy and ridiculous." Anna frowned up at the headband that now graced the top of her head. It was covered in black satin, with a fake sprig of mistletoe that bounced and bobbed from an extension in the center of the band.

"Anna, if you're standing under mistletoe, legend says that you have to get kissed. This way, Justin will see you, he'll see the mistletoe, and he won't have an excuse not to come up to you and make the first move. It'll work. Trust me."

"Alright. But if this doesn't work, I'm blaming you."

Phil and Anna got out of the Suburban, Phil carrying a bottle of sparkling pomegranate juice, and Anna carrying the trifle she'd made the night before (there would be potluck at the party, and Phil and Anna were drafted to bring drinks and dessert respectively). Carefully, the two of them made their way to the front porch of their hosts' house.

Mark and Stephanie lived in a farmhouse situated in a small valley just outside of town. It wasn't so much a home as it was a compound, consisting of the house, a detached garage, two outbuildings where Mark did most of his bike work, and a single-wide trailer used as an office. Tonight, the place was decked out in Christmas lights and decorations complete with cheesy plastic Santas, a plastic light-up nativity set, and a big inflatable snow globe in the front yard.

"Oh, it's Charlie Brown and Snoopy!" Anna couldn't stop the smile that spread across her lips. "That's so cute. I love these decorations."

"Thanks. Mark and Jeff and I did all this a couple of days ago—oh, watch out! There's ice to your left." Phil grabbed Anna's arm so she wouldn't slip.

"Thanks, Philly. Last thing I need is a faceplant."

Phil knocked on the door, and Stephanie answered, decked out in a green velvet broomstick skirt and a black long-sleeved leotard top. "Phil, Anna, hi! Merry Christmas!"

"Thank you!" Phil kissed Stephanie on the cheek and handed her the juice. "This is for you and the kids."

"Set it on the dining room table. That's where we've got all the food set out. And Mark got a case of Coke just for you."

"That's blasphemy!" gasped Phil in horror, though the twinkle in his eyes, and in those of his roommate, gave him away.

"Oh, I'm just kidding. We got Pepsi for you. It's the Throwback variety, the one without the corn syrup. It's in a big tub of ice next to the fridge."

"You got the good stuff. Thank you. I'll set this in the kitchen."

After Phil disappeared into the house, Stephanie smiled. "Anna, I'm glad you made it."

"Good to be here, thanks. Here's the trifle. Pumpkin gingerbread. Family recipe."

"It looks delish. You can set it on the table, too. By the way, you look great. Love the top."

"Thanks. Thrift store special."

"You're kidding."

"Dead serious." Anna wore a camisole top in eggplant purple crushed velvet. It had sequins and beads across the bust, and the top itself had a scattering of sequins throughout. The bust line was emphasized with matching lace trim, and the spaghetti straps showed off Anna's shoulders. Teamed up with tight black jeans, ankle boots, and simple jewelry, it was dressy and casual at the same time.

Stephanie grinned as she ushered Anna inside. The atmosphere was warm and festive, full of laughter and conversation. Rock n' Roll Christmas music was on the stereo. "Thrift store or not, I love it. And you're wearing mistletoe! Smart girl."

"I'm hoping to get lucky tonight," Anna chuckled as she set the trifle down and took her coat off to give to Stephanie to put in the guest room.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"Well, I'm either gonna be lucky, or I'll look like a jackass. It was Phil's idea."

"You definitely don't look like a jackass. I think it's cute. Anyway, we've got coffee in the kitchen, cups are all laid out, and milk and sugar is next to the cups. We have pop, sparkling water, juice, and hot cider, so help yourself..."

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

"Hi, Tiara!" Anna cooed as she picked up Matt and Lita's little girl, who was decked out in a red velvet dress. Tiara Megan Hardy was a little girl version of Matt, complete with the pouty lips, the curly hair, and the dark eyes. "Ooooh, you're so big now! Just a year old and you're already walking!"

"Daa-da!" Tiara answered back, smiling and showing two brand new teeth. Tiara had been born on Anna's birthday last year, and Matt and Lita chose Anna to be their daughter's godmother.

"She calls everyone Daa-da these days," Lita laughed from her spot on the living room couch. "She even calls me Daa-da. She's been vocalizing like crazy; it's just gonna be a matter of time before she really starts talking."

"Did I tell you about the time I spoke my first word?"

"I don't think you did."

"Well, my mom said I was a year and a half old. We were in the car, and there was an old truck in front of us. We pull up at a red light, and out of the blue, I said, 'Dodge'. You could have knocked my folks over with a feather, they were so shocked."

"I'd be shocked too! Not because you said a word, but because you apparently read it and knew how to say it!"

"Rumor has it that I said 'thank you' after my dad fed me a spoon of strained peaches when I was eight months old, but of course, that's debatable if I actually said it or not."

"Even if you didn't say it, that's one helluva story."

Anna smirked as she scanned the living room. "Everyone and their brother's here practically," she chuckled as she situated herself on the couch, Tiara securely in her arms. "Look at all the people." Anna was impressed by the turnout. Shannon, Shane, and the rest of the crew from the tattoo shop were there, as well as Matt and Lita (and their little girl), Nattie and Beth, Jay and Evan, Drew and Tiffany, Ashley, Victoria, Bradshaw, Farooq, Mike (who went by Miz because of his last name), and countless others. "I'm really glad you guys made it."

"We couldn't _not_ show up," Lita explained. "Just wouldn't be right. We're probably gonna head to Fayetteville tomorrow morning. Matt wants to support Jeff and Adam and welcome our first niece, and I don't blame him at all. This pregnancy's been difficult for both Adam _and_ Jeff."

"Any news on them tonight?" Anna wondered, as Tiara reached up to play with the fake mistletoe.

"Dr. Nora's gonna do the C-section on Monday, if she's able to get Adam's blood pressure down. Jeff's hanging in there."

"Speaking of Jeff, I sent him a gift. Big box of Skittles and a pack of Skittles flavor Lip Smackers. I overnighted it so it would arrive at the hospital."

"That's sweet of you, he'll appreciate it." Lita reached up and gently took her daughter's hand off the fake sprig dangling off of Anna's headband. "I guess that mistletoe is working already."

"Ya' think?" Anna laughed.

"I certainly do," said a new voice behind the couch. Anna and Lita looked up at Matt, who was smiling and holding his cell phone. He leaned down and kissed Anna on the cheek, and then kissed his wife. "You guys staying out of trouble?"

"We are, Babe. I was telling Anna about Adam being in the hospital."

"Oh, speaking of which," Matt announced, holding out his cell phone. "Adam's on the phone. You guys wanna talk to him? And you don't mind if I take Tiara from you, do you? I wanna show her off."

"Sure!" Anna handed Tiara off to her daddy. "Lita, I'll give you the phone when I'm finished." Anna smiled and put the phone up to her ear. "Hi, Addy! How's it going?"

Adam's voice sounded thin and tinny over the cell phone. "I'm hanging in there. Tasha's doing okay.-"

"No Addy! It's Tyler!" Jeff's voice shouted in the background.

"Hold on a second. It's Tasha, Jeff! It's a girl."

"No, it's a boy, and his name's Tyler!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Sorry, Anna. Jeff's still convinced we're having a boy."

"Do you guys know if Baby's a boy or a girl yet?" Anna asked.

"Just the doctor knows, and we asked her not to tell us—ow!"

"You okay?"

"Oh, Tasha's restless."

"It's Tyler!"

"Jeff, I said it's Tasha!" A pause. "Sorry, Anna. Jeff's being a pain."

"I am not!" Jeff fired back.

Anna laughed. Even in the hospital, Adam and Jeff were too entertaining. "Adam, it doesn't matter if Baby's a boy or a girl. As long as he or she is healthy and has everything in the right place, that's all that matters. And you sound strained. Ask the nurse to bring you some chamomile tea, then turn on some classical music, and put some headphones on your tummy."

"I don't want chamomile tea. I want Popsicles."

"Popsicles are all sugar, Addy. Chamomile's gonna calm down Baby."

"Okay. But headphones won't work. The baby doesn't like classical music. She likes White Zombie and KISS-"

"It's a he, Addy!" Jeff exclaimed. "Gimme the phone." A pause, and Anna heard Adam whine in the background. "Hi, Anna! Tyler says hi!"

"Tell him—or her, hi back! You get my package?"

"I did, thanks! I just finished the Skittles."

"Jeff! That was supposed to last you a while! You're gonna be wound up all night now."

"Well, you know me. I'm a Skittle magnet. What can I say?"

Anna shook her head. "I don't know. But don't tell me you used up all the lip gloss I got you."

"That's ours. It's our lucky lip gloss"

"What do you mean, it's our lucky lip gloss? That's for you. The baby gift basket was for Addy."

"Well, when one of us wears the lip gloss, the other one will be lucky!"

Anna busted up laughing. Jeff was just weird and crazy, but she—and her friends—wouldn't have him any other way. When she calmed down, she said, "Hey, Jeff, be serious for a moment. You guys doing okay?"

Jeff sighed. "Wait'll I step out of the room." A pause. "Yeah. I'm worried. This pregnancy's been really tough on both of us. If we weren't cutting up like we are, we'd be freaking out."

"Jeff, we're all pulling for you and Adam, okay? And it doesn't matter if Baby's a boy or a girl."

"Really, it doesn't. Thanks."

"Any time. Hey, you wanna talk to Lita? She's gesturing over my shoulder to hand her the phone."

"Well, yeah. She's my sister-in-law and an aunt-to-be, so lemme talk at her."

"Okay. Take care of yourself, Jeff. Here's Lita." Anna gave Lita the phone and made a graceful exit off the couch. She was here for a reason, and that reason was nowhere to be found at the moment. _I__ need __to __find__ him,_ she thought. _But__ first__ I__ need__ something __to __eat..._

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Tiara Megan Hardy was a name I found in a lovely piece of fanfic called Baby Mine, written by Archangel, aka Devlin V1. BTW, the story about Anna's first word actually happened to me in real life, according to my dad.**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	2. Chapter 2

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: OOPS! This WAS supposed to be a one shot, but it's become bigger than I had expected. BTW, I do plan to write a Jedam m-preg in the future, but I have a few things in the pipeline that I want to write down first. **

_**Chapter Two**_

"So, Jay, do you and Evan have a ring and a date yet?" Anna asked as she, Evan, and Jay sat at a card table downstairs in Mark and Stephanie's rumpus room eating dinner. The rumpus room was big and spacious, with big comfy furniture, a big-screen TV, and a pool table in the middle of it all.

Dinner was a casual relaxed affair with a fantastic spread. There was KFC chicken and barbecued brisket and slices of roast turkey breast. There were salads and potatoes and baked beans and chips and veggies with dip (John Morrison supplied the veggies and dip, which surprisingly, went quickly). There were cheese cubes and fruit and Jell-O and a sheet cake with whipped cream frosting, as well as Anna's pumpkin gingerbread trifle (which earned Anna some raves, as well as requests for the recipe). It was the perfect demonstration of Southern hospitality.

"Well, I have a ring," Evan beamed, showing a simple white gold band with channel set diamonds and an aquamarine in the center. "But we don't have a date yet."

Anna sipped at her Diet Pepsi as she admired Evan's engagement ring. "Well, to do this properly, you need at least nine months of preparation."

"Nine months?" Jay cocked his head and set his beer down. "We're planning a wedding, not a childbirth."

"It's kinda like a birth," Anna pointed out. "It's the start of a whole new life together-"

Anna's spiel was interrupted when a big hand lay on her shoulder. She glanced up. "Mark, hi!"

"Glad you could make it," he smiled. "I have to kiss you now, right?" he asked, referring to the mistletoe.

"You can if you want," Anna smirked.

"Well, I'm already married, and Steph would throw a fit if I kissed another woman, so..." Mark set a blue gift bag down in front of his guest. "Here's the next best thing. Merry Christmas," he said before he headed back upstairs.

"Thanks. How cute!" Anna showed her friends the bag and lifted out the silver box with the giant Hershey's kiss inside. "Now I need some peanut butter so I can eat this properly."

"Peanut butter?" Jay shook his head. "Anna, you've filled your plate like three times already, and you're still talking food? Where do you put it all?"

"Hollow legs." Anna put her gift back in the bag. "Hey, Guys. I need you to help me with something."

"Sure."

"I'm trying to find Bradshaw so I can get a kiss from him. That's why I'm wearing this," Anna explained, pointing to her headband. "Legend says that you have to get kissed when you stand under this."

"So _that's_ what the mistletoe's for. I thought it was part of the outfit."

Evan smacked his fiancée on the arm. "There's a reason why you hang mistletoe during the holidays!" he spat. "And it's not necessarily for aesthetic reasons."

Anna bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Jay's cluelessness. "Anyway, I need you to be on the lookout for him. We have each other's cell numbers, right?"

"Sure, yeah," Jay and Evan answered back.

"Well, if you'd be so kind, would you fire off a text to me if you see him."

"Consider it done," Jay smiled.

"Thanks. I appreciate it, guys. You know what he looks like, right?"

"Yeah," Evan answered. "He's not hard to miss."

"Yeah. Big tall strapping guy, longish dark hair, goatee." Anna sighed, her eyes suddenly becoming starry. "He's got the cutest smile, and an awesome laugh. And these big hands that'll make you feel so safe-"

"That's not the only big thing about him. You see his feet? His feet are almost as big as Mark's! That guy is massive."

"Of course he's massive. He played football in college. Right tackle."

"How'd he wind up in North Carolina?"

"How should I know? I haven't asked him," Anna fired back, slightly annoyed. "Anyway, find him, text me. Simple as that. _Capiche?__"_

"_Capiche, _loud and clear," Jay answered as they all got up from the table. "Hey, Anna. You know what they say about guys with big hands and big feet and big ears, right?"

Anna snorted. "Well, if the answer's what I think it is, he'd better be packing, 'cuz that's gonna be one goofy looking guy! Now go!"

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

"Anna, we need the bathroom. Come on!" Miz complained as he knocked on the bathroom door.

"I'm almost finished. Don't get your underwear in a bunch!" Anna fluffed out her blonde curls, spritzed her bangs with some hairspray and nodded at her reflection in the mirror. It was three hours into the party, and she was pleased at how well her makeup was holding up. "And there's a bathroom downstairs. Go use that one."

"But there's a line!"

"Ugghh! Gimme another minute." Anna fumbled through her wristlet for her lip gloss. "I could have sworn I brought that," she said to herself. "Maybe I dropped it in the car." Luckily, she still had her lipstick, and that was peppermint flavor as well. It drove her friends crazy, but Anna refused to wear any lip color that wasn't peppermint flavored. She was just really picky like that.

After touching up her lips and re-powdering her nose, Anna opened the bathroom door. "Okay. I'm done!" she announced, stepping out. "Knock yourself—" Before she could say more, Miz grabbed her shoulders and gave her a cheeky smile before planting a big wet one on the cheek. "Aack! You colossal sneak!"

"What did you expect?" Miz smirked, as Anna shook her head and laughed. "You loved it and you know it."

"If you were anyone else but you, Mizzie, I'd slug you in the jaw." If Miz didn't tease you, it meant you weren't his friend, simple as that. If you were his friend, he'd step in front of a bullet for you and razz you endlessly. "Now, do you really need the bathroom?"

"Actually, I do."

"Don't let me stop you then." Anna fired back as she wove her way down the hallway.

So far, the mistletoe headband was working well. Too well, as a matter of fact. After instructing Jay and Evan to text her if they saw Bradshaw, Anna had been kissed by almost every available guy, not to mention a couple of available girls, at the party. Luckily, they weren't gross or sloppy kisses, just polite, friendly pecks on the cheek for the most part. Anna was rather flattered by all the attention, but it wasn't coming from the one guy she wanted it from.

Anna's cell phone chimed, signaling a text. She pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and glanced at the screen. _Bradshaw__'__s __in__ the__ shed__ where __Mark__ does__ his __prefab__ work.__ Go__ get__ '__em!__ Luv,__ Jay:)_

"Yes!" Anna gave a small fist pump in triumph and headed out the backdoor.

Shivering and rubbing her arms, Anna made her way to the prefab shed. Lights were on, and she could hear conversation inside. She knocked first before opening the door and walking inside. "Hi, Guys!"

Mark, Farooq, and Shannon looked up from the table where some drawings were laid out. Farooq was the first one to speak. "Hey, how's the party?"

"Good, so far. I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Anna stepped inside.

"Oh, no." Mark smiled. "I'm just showing the guys here some new designs I've been commissioned to build. You're welcome to take a look if you want."

"It's freezing out there," Anna complained, as she gazed at the drawings. "I like these. The wheel designs look dangerous, though," she critiqued, gently. "Like they could gut someone if you're not careful."

"They're not gonna be sharp or anything," Shannon pointed out. "But they'll look amazing once they're built. And check out the designs on the fuel tank."

"Me likey. Me likey very much."

"That design is my creation, believe it or not."

Anna whistled softly. "I believe it. You ever thought of doing bike designs like this as a second career?"

"This is gonna be my first. If this bike goes over well, then I'll do more of these."

"They're really good." Anna paused. "Ummm, you guys haven't seen Bradshaw anywhere, have you?" She didn't want to be too direct because she didn't want to come across as being too desperate.

"Last time I saw him, he was going to the house for a beer," Farooq said. "Oh, by the way…" He kissed Anna on the cheek. "I missed you earlier."

Anna laughed. "I'll go inside, too. Thanks for showing me your work."

Anna shivered as she got back inside the house. Her eyes scanned the kitchen, only to find that Bradshaw wasn't there. "Rats," she sighed, deciding that she needed to take a break. A cup of hot cider sounded appealing at the moment, Anna poured herself a cup. She was adding a cinnamon stick when she noticed an athletic looking woman approach her. "Hi, Nattie."

"Hey, haven't seen you in a while, Stranger. What's up."

"Nothing much. Enjoying the party?" Anna noticed that Nattie was swaying a little. _Must __have__ hit__ the __eggnog __a__ little__ too__ hard, _she thought.

"It's been fun so far..." Nattie's words trailed off when she noticed the headband. "You don't mind, do you."

"Uh...go for it, I guess."

Nattie went to kiss Anna, and it looked as she were aiming for Anna's lips. However, Anna turned at the last second, and Nattie wound up kissing her on the cheek instead. _Yup,_ Anna thought, smelling the alcohol on Nattie's breath. _A__ little__ too __much __to__ drink._ She began scanning the kitchen—subtly—for the nearest exit.

"Hey, listen...uh...I was wondering if may you and me and Beth could get together sometime and maybe...uhmmm...uhm, hang out."

Anna took a sip of her hot cider. "Well, it depends on what you guys mean by hanging out."

Nattie blushed. "Well, uh, what I meant was, well..."

"Nattie, there you are!"

Nattie glanced over her shoulder to see Beth standing in front of her. "Beth, hi!"

"Come on, Nat, you've had too much to drink," Beth ushered her girlfriend away from Anna and towards the living room. "I'm cutting you off. Anna, I'm so sorry. Nat's a bit out of it."

"Awww, but I like Anna." Nattie moaned as she leaned on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"I do too, but she's straight," Beth admonished, as she led her inebriated girlfriend out of the kitchen, casting an apologetic look over her shoulder on the way out.

Anna scratched her head. "Did I just get propositioned?" she wondered out loud before drinking her hot cider.

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

While Anna was busy chasing Bradshaw down, Phil had found his boyfriend, and the two of them were curled up on the loveseat in the living room, almost oblivious to the revelry around them.

"I wonder if Mark and Stephanie will let us stay the night."

"Maybe," purred John Morrison (JoMo to everyone) as he rested his head on Phil's shoulder. "I can't get enough of you, Philly."

"I kinda doubt it though, about staying the night," Phil answered him, his hand slipping underneath JoMo's shirt. "Anna and I drove here in the Suburban. Knowing Mark or Stephanie, they'll probably ask us to drive home anyone who's had too much to drink."

"Naah. I heard her say that she'll be happy to let anyone stay over if they don't wanna drive home," JoMo said, before he and Phil drew close for yet another makeout session. "Mmmm. Your lips taste so yummy."

"I have a confession."

"What's that?"

"I borrowed Anna's candy cane lip gloss."

"So _that's_ what happened to it!"

Phil and JoMo glanced up at Anna, who stood in front of the loveseat with her hand out. A knowing expression was on her face. "I was looking for it earlier and I thought I left it in the car." She paused, and then gestured with her fingers. "Give it back, Phil."

"Alright, here. " Phil plunked the tube of lip gloss into Anna's outstretched hand. "Killjoy. And don't freak. I used a q-tip to put it on."

"Next time, ask me please. And why don't you guys get a room or something?"

"Hey, I thought you said seeing two hot guys make out was a turn-on for you," Phil exclaimed, with a smile.

"I thought you liked to watch," JoMo added.

"Not in front of everyone! Hey, have either of you seen Bradshaw around?"

"Last time I saw him, he was getting a beer from the fridge."

"I looked there, and he wasn't around. Can you guys help me chase him down? He's like Houdini. Now you see him, and now you don't."

"Sorry, but we're a little occupied at the moment."

"You guys are no help!"

"Hey, I got you the headband, didn't I?"

Anna made a high-pitched whining noise and stomped her foot before stalking off in frustration. The night, which had started off with so much promise, was turning into a bust. Bradshaw was nowhere to be found, and Anna felt like giving up.

_Might __as__ well__ take__ this __headband __off __and__ call __it__ a__ night,_ she thought sadly, just as her cell phone rang again. This time, it was a message from Evan. _Bradshaw's__ downstairs__ playing __pool._

Anna squealed and texted back, _Stall__ him!__Ask__ him __if __I__ can __join __in._

_Done__ and__ done, _Evan texted her in reply. _Jay's__ joined __in__ on __the__ festivities,__ and__ he's__ a __sucky __player.__ Now__ get__ down __here!_

Anna checked herself out in the bathroom mirror before high-tailing it downstairs.

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: If the dialog between Jay and Evan sounds a lot familiar, it's from my story _Southern __Comfort__ With__ A __Twist,_ my take of the movie _Out__ At__ The__ Wedding._ It just struck me that Jay and Evan should be engaged in this one. Maybe there's a recurring theme in the stuff I write. Starting new lives together, a new family, a new romance...hmmm.**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Just to clarify, my Punk muse is circa 2008, with the long hair and just a few tats. I found him uber-hot during that time, and that's the Punk I use in my stories. BTW, this pool scene is more than a little familiar because I borrowed it from my story _Into__ The__ Dark._I figured that the game would be interactive, and a safe place for Anna to get to know her crush a little better. I tweaked it a bit so that it would fit Anna's backstory (check it out on my profile if you have a chance).**

_**Chapter Three**_

_Yes! __He's__ here!__ And __he __looks__ so__ festive! _Anna wanted to shout and jump for joy at the sight of Bradshaw in tight faded jeans and a flannel shirt in red and green plaid. He was currently clearing the pool table while Jay stood with a sheepish grin on his face and the cue stick in his hand. Evan looked on, shaking his head and trying hard to keep a straight face.

"Who taught you to play pool, Jay?" Bradshaw asked, good-naturedly, as a small crowd of guests chuckled. "Stevie Wonder could have played better than you."

"Stevie Wonder would have kicked my ass!" Jay fired back as he set his cue stick on the now cleared table. "Someone save me."

Anna approached the table cautiously. "Mind if I join in?"

Bradshaw glanced over and smiled. "Fine by me. You'll wanna watch your head." He pointed towards the ceiling. An antique style Tiffany lamp with the old-style Pepsi logo hung just a few feet from the table. "That lamp above the table's a bit low. I almost hit my head on it a couple times. Wanna do 8-ball?"

_Stay __calm,__ don't__ make__ an__ ass__ of__ yourself. _It was all Anna could do to keep from jumping up and down like a sugared up nine year old at a sleepover. She picked up Jay's cue stick and chalked up the end of it. "Works for me, but I get to break."

A tiny smile pricked up her lips as she watched Bradshaw chalk up his pool stick. _So __far,__so__ good,_ she thought happily. _Don't__ screw__ this__ up!__ Be__ patient, __and __don't__ act __desperate._

Bradshaw racked the billiard balls up, and Anna set up the cue ball. Leaning over the table, she drew back the cue stick and let it go. The ball cracked against its target, and the balls went scattering. Several of the balls hit the rails.

"Nice break," Bradshaw said simply, as a few guests gravitated towards the pool table to watch.

"She's no slouch," Jay nodded back, setting his half-empty bottle of beer on the edge of the pool table.

"Stripes or solids?" Anna asked.

"I want stripes. I seem to play better when I get the stripes."

"Fine by me."

Anna put away the 4 and 1 ball before she scratched. Bradshaw put away the 14-ball with a nice little shot from a difficult angle. "You're good," Anna remarked, as the ball rolled into the pocket. "I would have missed that shot."

"Who taught you how to play?"

"I taught myself. My parents and I frequented this bar and grill when I was a kid. There was a pool table downstairs, and I watched everyone play. Pretty soon, I started fiddling around, and the rest is history."

"Where you from?"

"Missouri. Springfield."

"What brought you here?"

"I have family who lives here. My aunt and uncle live in Sanford."

"You go to college?"

"Yeah. University of Missouri in Columbia. Got my Bachelor's in Office Administration. I figured it would help me get a good job. And I didn't want to move out of state to get a good education."

"You look too young to have a Bachelor's Degree."

"I was seventeen. Youngest graduating senior."

With his attention diverted, Bradshaw didn't strike the cue ball hard enough, so the 11-ball missed the corner pocket. Biting back an expletive, he glanced up at his opponent.

"I didn't see that," she said. "Take another shot."

"Thanks. But I wanna beat you fairly."

"You may be eating those words when I put the 8-ball in," Anna smirked, inwardly kicking herself for sounding too cocky. "You got some catching up to do."

"We'll see about that."

Bradshaw put away the 10-ball in the left corner pocket before he scratched trying to hit the 13-ball. Anna put away the 1 and 6 balls before she scratched. She and her new friend wound up matching each other shot for shot.

"Hey, she's gonna kick your ass, Dude!" exclaimed Evan, who was watching the game along with Jay and the gathered crowd.

Finally, the 12-ball, the 2-ball and the 8-ball were the only ones left on the table. It was Bradshaw's turn to shoot, and he aimed for the 12-ball. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled the tip of his cue stick back, then released. The cue ball hit the 2-ball with a nice crack and zoomed towards the end of the table before ricocheting off and rolling towards the side rails. It continued to travel towards the side pocket on the left, but its momentum was fading quickly.

"Come on, come on!" he hissed through his teeth, as if he could get the ball to move faster through sheer will. It didn't work, and the 12-ball crawled to a stop less than an inch from the pocket. "Oh, dammit!" he exclaimed, as the small crowd groaned in disappointment.

A sly smile spread across Anna's lips as he approached the 2-ball. "Tough break," she said kindly. She aimed carefully and fired the remaining solid ball into the corner pocket on the left.

"Come on, miss the ball, miss the ball," Bradshaw whispered.

"Sorry, but this is an easy shot," Anna said, as she fired the 8-ball into the right side pocket.

The small crowd burst into cheers and applause, impressed by the well played game. Anna, caught up in the celebration, happily jumped up and back from the the table. Unfortunately, she brushed up against Jay's beer bottle with her wristlet purse and sent it clattering to the floor. The bottle was aluminum, which didn't break, but it landed right next to Anna's foot.

"Watch out!" Jay exclaimed, just as Anna stumbled backwards over the bottle.

Everything happened at once. As Anna stumbled backwards, the cue stick she was still holding shot up and caught the hanging lamp, knocking out several pieces of glass. Panicked, Anna tried to move her stick out of the way, but succeeded only in yanking the lamp off of its hook, sending it crashing to the table. The guests scattered as glass rained down over the felt covered tabletop.

_"Oh, no!"_ In her haste to get out of the way, Anna jumped backwards and stepped on the top of Bradshaw's foot. Gasping, she whipped around and caught Bradshaw in the face with the fake mistletoe on her headband. Bradshaw stepped backwards, his hand covering his face.

Anna glanced around, completely mortified. What had started out with so much promise had ended in disaster. Unable to face anyone, or say anything, Anna dropped the cue stick and fled into the nearest room she saw, the downstairs bathroom. Clutching the side of the bathroom sink, Anna willed herself to take deep, even breaths. The last thing she wanted to do was hyperventilate. Once she'd steadied herself, she realized that her cheeks were damp, and she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Oh, not now!" Anna whined. Her face was tearstained, and a couple of tears were trundling down her cheek. More were in her eyes, waiting to be shed. Her makeup was about to die.

Anna dampened a washrag with cool water and dabbed it on her face to catch the tears and clean up the stains on her face. She then pulled the makeup she'd brought with her out of her wristlet purse and proceeded to salvage what she could. A stroke of blush here, a dab of lip gloss there, and a touch of eyeliner and powder, and she looked presentable again.

A knock on the door interrupted Anna as she was putting away her things. "Who is it?"

"It's Stephanie. Can I come in?"

"Lemme unlock the door first." Anna unlocked the door and plunked down onto the closed toilet seat, her head down in embarrassment.

Stephanie stepped into the bathroom and put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "You okay, Hun?"

"About as okay as can be expected." Anna lifted her head. "Did anyone get hurt out there?"

Stephanie shook her head. "Naah. Nobody got hurt. Just a bunch of broken glass on the pool table. I cleaned it all up."

"Oh, God!" Anna sniffed. "The last few minutes. You can't describe them without using the word _cluster_ somewhere!"

Stephanie smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't go that far."

"I broke your lamp! And that looked like an antique! I broke your antique! I'm such a klutz!"

"It was an accident, Anna. Everyone knows that."

"But your poor lamp! I'll pay for it Stephanie, I promise-"

Stephanie laughed softly. "We got it at Walmart a couple years ago. We'll just get a new one. I knew Mark hung it too low. I tried to tell him that someone would break it while playing pool. But he didn't listen." A pause. "Oh, ummm...Phil wanted me to tell you that he and JoMo want to spend the night. And, since it's late, I wanted to ask if you wanted to stay over as well. Mark and I didn't want you to drive home tonight by yourself."

"That's nice of you guys, thanks."

"Stephanie! Glad I could hunt you down!"

Stephanie and Anna glanced in the doorway at a breathless Lita. She was wearing her coat and holding her purse. "Lita! Are you guys leaving so soon?"

Lita shook her head, apologetic. "We have to, we're sorry. Jeff just called. Addy's blood pressure spiked, and Dr. Nora's rushing him in for an emergency C-section. We're gonna drop Tiara off at Gil and Sharon's, and then we're heading right over to Fayetteville so we can be with Jeff and Adam. Jay and Evan are saying their good-byes, and they're heading over as well—you know that Adam and Jay are practically brothers—so I guess we're all heading out."

"Awww. Sorry you can't stay longer," sighed Anna.

"I wish we could."

"Well, we're glad you came over," Stephanie gave Lita a kind hug. "Have a safe trip. Keep us posted."

"We will. Have a good night, Anna."

"Thanks. I will."

Stephanie and Anna looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well, it looks like the party's winding down," Stephanie remarked. "I should start cleaning stuff up so we won't have a mess tomorrow morning."

"I've got nothing better to do right now," Anna sighed. "Mind if I help?"

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

Stephanie, Anna, and a few other guests made short work of the cleanup. By the time they were finished, most everyone had left, save for the handful of guests Mark and Stephanie had offered to put up for the night.

After making a half-hearted attempt to find Bradshaw, Anna politely excused herself and trudged back down to the rumpus room. Scowling, she yanked the headband off her head and tossed it down on a coffee table.

"Stupid headband," she sulked, flopping down onto a loveseat. She folded her arms and sighed in disappointment, making a mental note to holler at Phil when they were back home in the morning.

Her surly mood was interrupted by her cell phone. Seeing the number, she answered it, unaware of the person stepping into the room. "Hello? Jeff, hi! Lita and Matt and everyone left like an hour ago. How are you and Adam..."

~~~MKMKMKMK~~~

"...That's great. That's one helluva birthday present. Well, I think Philly and I can swing by tomorrow, if Addy's able to have visitors. Just let us know. Okay. Yeah, okay, I'll pick up some Skittles on the way there. Thanks for calling, and congratulations again. Okay, bye."

Anna ended her phone call and set her cell phone down next to the headband. She was aware of someone in her personal space and glanced up.

"Justin!"

"Stephanie said you'd be down here," Bradshaw said, sitting down next to the young woman.

Anna felt her heart begin to flutter. "I was looking for you earlier," she muttered, blushing.

"I was in the garage with Mark looking at some new designs."

"Oh." A pause. "Jeff called. Dr. Nora delivered the baby in time. Adam had a baby girl. Natasha Tyler Hardy-Copeland. Five pounds, eleven ounces. She's in the NICU for observation because she was a month early, but she's doing great."

"How about Adam?"

"He's resting. His blood pressure stabilized, he's gonna be okay."

"That's good to know. We were all worried about him."

Anna nodded. "Hey, um...Justin, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about making such a scene earlier playing pool. I didn't hurt you with my headband, did I?"

"There's nothing you need to apologize for, and I was more startled than anything else."

"Oh, that's good. Justin, I have a confession I need to make."

"Sure."

Anna gazed down at her shoes, unable to look her crush in the eye. "Uhmm...I've been crushing on you for months, and I thought tonight would be the perfect chance for us to get to know each other. I think I've been trying too hard. I wore the headband tonight so that you'd have no choice but to kiss me." Anna sighed. "But all I really did was make an ass out of myself, and I'm really sorry. I guess I really blew it, didn't I?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that?"

Anna lifted her head up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't _make_ someone kiss you. You could have walked through the door wearing a thousand sprigs of mistletoe and it wouldn't matter."

"Oh." Anna didn't know what to say about that. She felt a lump in her throat and swallowed hard to chase it away.

"Well..." Bradshaw continued. "What I meant to say was, you can't make someone kiss you if they want to kiss you anyway."

"Oh..._oh!__"_ Anna glanced up and suddenly realized what her crush was telling her. "Uh...Phil said that you were kinda...uhmm...crushing on me too."

Now it was Bradshaw's turn to blush. "Since I first saw you at Shannon's shop. I thought you were lovely and charming, and very sweet. The guys kinda gave me a hard time about it, but I didn't mind, because I liked you so much. I wanted to make my move, but it was too busy. You could imagine what everyone would say if I acted all starry eyed and lovesick. I wouldn't hear the end of it, especially from Mizzie."

Anna laughed. "He's impossible!"

"Wouldn't want him any other way, though. Y'know, I wanted to wait for this party to kinda die down before I did this, so..." Bradshaw lifted Anna's chin up so she could face him. Then, he lowered his face and kissed her on the lips.

_Oh,__wow! _Anna thought. It felt like a thousand butterflies had just taken off inside of her. It wasn't a gross or sloppy kiss, but a very sweet and gentlemanly kiss that dared nothing at the moment, but promised much more in the future. It was everything Anna'd hoped it would be, and it was definitely worth waiting for.

When they finished, Bradshaw and Anna gazed at each other, their eyes sparkling, their cheeks rosy. A smile perked up Bradshaw's lips as he said, "Merry Christmas, Anna. It's good to finally meet you."

"It's good to finally meet you too."

Bradshaw stood up and helped Anna off of the couch. "Let's go upstairs. Maybe there's some trifle left over. I'd love to know who made that."

Anna leaned into Bradshaw and giggled as she picked up her fallen headband. "That was me. I'll have to make you one someday."

Happily, Anna and her crush headed upstairs. _Maybe __I__ should__ keep __this,_ Anna thought, gazing fondly at the headband in her hand. _After __all,__ it__ worked. __Not__ in__ the__ way__ I'd__ intended,__ but__ it__ worked._ A little smile creased her lips as she made a mental note to give Phil a big thank you hug in the morning.

**THE END**

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: And there you go! My holiday contribution for this year. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Whatever you celebrate this year—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or any other holiday—I hope it's happy:)**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


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